40 days of rain…

Yesterday, was St Swithun’s day, a day dedicated to St Swithun, an early Bishop of Winchester, who died in 862.

Legend has it that if it rains on St Swithun’s day (15 July) that it will rain for another 40 days.

The ancient weatherlore says:

St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St Swithun’s day if thou be fair

For forty days ’twill rain na mair

As with many myths and legends – the legend of St Swithun probably had some sort of practical grounding originally. My guess is that even in the 800’s the ‘Great British Summer’ was as disappointing as it is now – perhaps this bit of fatalistic folklore was to try and offer some sort of explanation as to why it seems to rain every year.

(And as the 15th was a particular soggy one, best pack the flip flops away until next year)